Chus Mateo: “It was very emotional, in basketball I've never experienced anything like this before”
“Rudy deserves it and he motivates those of us who are behind him to try to do our best,” said Tavares.
Chus Mateo and Walter Tavares spoke after the second game of the Liga Endesa final series about the emotional ovation for Rudy Fernández at the WiZink Center. The coach had the following to say: "It's moving and beautiful when people love you so much, in basketball I've never experienced anything like this before. It was very emotional for everyone and it's well deserved, he will be remembered because he really is something unique. Now it's up to me to coach him and of course, he's one of the best Spanish players that basketball has ever produced, without a doubt.”
“Today he showed that connection with the people, with his fans. What we experienced here with the fans chanting his name for fifteen minutes shows not only affection but also the tremendous sporting and human values that he has been able to transmit.”
On the third game
“We don't want to relax, we know that the third game is going to be a tough and difficult match and we'll have to be ready and wait for our moment. It won't be easy to win the match but we'd like to get the third point as soon as possible, so we'll take it when it comes as long as it's for our side.”
Waiting for the moment
“What we've achieved is in the past and we're only thinking about Wednesday's game, because the season isn't over yet, of course. We have a very physical, hard-fought and hard-fought clash ahead of us and a team we respect because of the season they're having. Today we played a very practical game without producing a brilliant performance. We knew how to play our moments.”
Tavares: “Rudy deserves it”
“He's still emotional in the dressing room, he still doesn't realise how special the moment was. I stood back more like a fan watching, it was an unbelievable moment. He's so hard-working. He'll always have a place in my heart. He deserves it and he motivates us, because we are behind him, to try to do our best and to one day also have that departure through the big gate.”
Analysis of the clash
“The second win always takes more. In the first one you break it, you win and that's it, but in the second one they have it fresh in their heads, they have it in their minds, they improve on the mistakes they've made and it's a bit difficult to penetrate the zone. A lot changed for the second game. Now we have the most difficult thing to do, which is to play at their home place with so much energy behind them.”
Praise for the opposition
“They're not in the final by chance, they're in the final because of how well they've done and how well they prepare for the games. Their zonal defence is very difficult, it conditions them greatly, they don't allow you to run. We have to try to do our best and lean on experienced people like Llull, Sergio Rodríguez and Rudy to help us read that kind of defence.”